DC Thomson, based in Scotland, is a venerable institution in the UK, and the home to the longest-running weekly comic in the world in the form of The Beano, which started in 1938. Over the years many of its other comics have fallen to the wayside, knocked off supermarket shelves by toy and TV tie-in magazines, but its characters have left an indelible impression on generations of readers --- even now, there's a Bananaman movie in the works, for example.

This move will see strips and characters from comics including Commando, Bunty, Beezer and The Beano all racing across onto the digital comics platform, led (of course) by Dennis the Menace and Gnasher. Now --- before we get confused, I want to point out this is the actual Dennis the Menace we're talking about here, and not that noted blond softy America seems so fond of. No sir --- this is pure classic red-and-black menacing at work here, Abyssinian Wire-Haired Tripe Hound 'n all.

This is pretty big news for anybody in the UK who was ever, you know, a child. The starting line-up of stories on ComiXology features Oor Wullie (reading that one will help you finally understand Grant Morrison's accent), Star, and Best of Topper. I don't know about you, but I'm going to eat a plate of egg and chips, dodge doing my homework, head to my secret treehouse and go download a few issues right now.